All characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyrighted to Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. I've taken the idea for the Unseelie Court from the TGS. Characters and concepts from Star Trek are property of Paramount and created by Gene Roddenberry. No Infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder. All original characters are the property of SN.

Note: I'm disregarding the events of the "Goliath Chronicles", with the exception of "The Journey" because I do not wish to use the rest of the "Goliath Chronicles" as canon to my story. Also, I'm altering large sections of the Star Trek storyline, especially concerning events like WWIII and the Eugenics Wars, which without the Cold War as a backdrop probably wouldn't happen the way Roddenberry wrote them, if at all. This story takes place two weeks after "Old Hatreds".

Public Debate

By SN/TVfan

Email: Sam_Nary

PIT Meeting

"This man's action has to be stopped!" a voice shouted across the room, "he's hurting everything we're doing to try and bring everyone together."

There were several voices that agreed with that. This made Judith Axel sigh heavily. PIT was holding meetings to try and present some sort of coordinated answer to the wave of hatred that Ralph Maccio and his "Order of the Phoenix" was spreading across Manhattan. Maccio's group was only a small group of rabble rousers, there were still many people who at best didn't trust gargoyles. It was now up to PIT to come up with an answer to this latest wave of hatred.

Goliath and the clan were likely working on their own solution, likely with the help of the police, which would likely mean leaving Maccio alone until he actually committed a crime. So far, Maccio's followers had not committed any crimes. They had so far limited themselves to waving signs and shouting slogans about the gargoyles being evil. Wrong and stupid, maybe, but not illegal, which meant the law and the clan couldn't do anything.

PIT's members were all determined that the new "Order of the Phoenix" would live a short life and would fade into obscurity for it's racist behavior. Their organization had been founded to bring humanity and the gargoyles together, so that they wouldn't be living in two separate worlds, and for Judith Axel and her husband, and for Abigail Wexmand, it was also to be able to be with their daughters in public and not risk being shot at or insulted for their daughter's current species. Their past few meetings were all aimed at trying to find some way of countering the "Order of the Phoenix" before people started actually believing their lies, or before they did something violent.

Most of the solutions proposed came from some new members, which appeared to be almost as ludicrous and "out there" as what Maccio was doing on his end. Judith guessed that this came from some frustration about having to spend time countering the Quarrymen to now only have to counter a new anti-gargoyle organization. But, at the same time, she couldn't approve of doing anything like that. It would only cause trouble and would make PIT look as bad as Maccio's lunatic followers.

Before Judith spoke to try and voice her opinion, Abigail stood up from her chair next to Judith's.

"I'm sure all of you know that I was once a member of the Quarrymen," Abigail began slowly, "and a few of you know how I learned how wrong I was. I am grateful that you have accepted me, despite what I did in the past."

There were a few short claps.

"But, I feel I must advise against doing anything violent or outlandish," Abigail spoke, "Maccio's Order of the Phoenix is a threat to gargoyle-human relations, but if we go after him the way he is going after the clan and the city, or the way the Quarrymen went after the gargoyles… we would only become the forces of evil that you'll all been trying to persuade the people of New York to fight. It would give them credibility as we would appear foolish. Surely there must be some way we can PEACEFULLY show Ralph Maccio and his adherents that he is wrong."

"And how are we to do that?" someone there questioned, "we've tried to peacefully try to persuade them when the Quarrymen were about and look where we are. Facing the same racist tendencies we were fighting three years ago when the gargoyles were revealed to us. We must do something."

"Fighting Maccio with our fists will prove nothing, other then that we are violent and that the gargoyles have something to hide," Judith spoke to stand by her friend, "He is accusing them of masterminding some covert plot to destroy us all and that we, PIT, are their 'tools' in this plot. If we fight him, we will only make people think he is right, and if we win… if we win, we'd go to jail for assault and he would be spreading his hatred again the next day."

"Then what do we do?" a third voice questioned, "we can't keep doing nothing. Handing out flyers and talking to people on the street is not doing enough."

"The only thing we could do would be to challenge Maccio to a debate of the issue," Mr. Axel commented, "it might allow us to directly counter what Maccio is doing, and going as loony as he's been on television would likely cause trouble for him."

"And if these people aren't stopped, they could hurt the clan," the first man protested.

"We don't suggest we don't stop them," Judith spoke, "we suggest we do not do anything rash or illegal to do so. If so, we'd be no better then the Quarrymen, whose organization has been outlawed because of Castaway's CRIMINAL dealings."

"If only we could debate that guy," a new voice commented, sounding half mournful, "I'm sure we could push him into a corner and show him how wrong he is that way. And it wouldn't be violent, and we wouldn't come of as 'pawns' of the clan."

"You don't think it's possible?" Mr. Axel asked the man, "Maccio's an idiot in my opinion, but he doesn't seem to operate like Castaway did. He might agree to a debate because it might give him more publicity."

"He doesn't really talk with those that disagree with him," the man sighed, "He just repeats the same talking points over and over again, and usually getting louder as he goes. He was absolutely rude to one reporter that was trying to get him to explain something."

"It's in our best interests to try," Mr. Axel pointed out, "his followers would surely come, and if we are able to debate him into a corner, they might break away from him."

"Who would moderate such a debate?" a new voice asked, "neither us nor Maccio's 'Order of the Phoenix' are political parties, so unless the media wants to televise the debate, it'd be tough to get a moderator to insure that everything is on the level."

"I was thinking that Travis Marshall could do that, if the media will do it," Judith commented, "after all, he did moderate Macduff's debate with Margot Yale when the gargoyles were first revealed."

"That wasn't much of a debate," the second voice commented, "all they did was yell at one another."

"Marshall did try to moderate it," Mr. Axel said, "it wasn't his fault that both Macduff and Yale were highly combative people."

"So how do we get him to moderate this debate?" a new voice asked.

"I don't know," Judith sighed, "first we have to see if Maccio will accept the challenge."

23rdPrecinct

"I don't know why you're still doing this," Captain Chavez spoke to the man standing in front of her desk, "They will begin testing to see if they are ready to receive their badges and begin taking on the responsibilities as officers of the law. And that is final."

"You're seriously going to go through with this?" the officer sitting across from her asked, "the mayor only did it so that they'd be off the street and we wouldn't look like some evil secret police or something."

"You make it sound like the mayor is leading some sort of diabolical plot," Chavez told the officer, "I can tolerate you not liking the gargoyles. What I can't tolerate is the repeated derogatory remarks you have made within earshot of me and them. We are bound to uphold the law and respect fair play. Not to stab each other in the back like teenagers in high school."

The officer was one of a handful of officers that Chavez knew was anti-gargoyle, but unlike the others, this one was rather vocal about it. He almost went out of his way to try and make the gargoyles feel unwelcome at the precinct. And now that was causing greater troubles. Through great effort, the clan was now ready to take the tests given to every patrol officer in the NYPD. Elisa was likely ready for that the instant the clan was "drafted", but that was a different issue. And this man was now doing everything possible to make them miserable.

"They aren't human," the officer protested, "they haven't followed the law since they arrived… and we really don't know how long they've actually been here."

"I will remind you that whites did not think of Africans or Native Americans as entirely human at one time," Chavez spoke firmly, "and that was their excuse for slavery, murder, theft of land, and the list goes on. This is the twenty first century. Not the Middle Ages. I'm not demanding you like them. You don't have to if you really don't want to. But I will not tolerate racist behavior while you are on duty. And if your prejudices are blocking your ability to do your job, I will have to ask for your badge."

"You'd fire me over them?" the officer shouted.

"It's clear that you'd rather be marching with Maccio's 'Order of the Phoenix' then doing your job based on what I have heard you say and seen you do when members of the clan are here," Chavez answered, "The mayor brought them in to be trained and to try and restore some sense of order in this city. As officers of the law our job is to serve the law. If you think the mayor's decision was unjust in anyway, there are legal ways to make that opinion known. The way you have behaved is not one of them."

There was an awkward silence for a few moments.

"And I'm not firing you," Chavez spoke, "I'm giving you a choice to either correct your mistakes and take the legal course of action, or to at least be respectful of your fellow officers, regardless of their species… Or, you can leave. It is your choice."

"It's still a mistake," the officer grumbled and went back his station, leaving Chavez to only sigh in frustration.

Chavez sighed and hoped better things were coming.

JFK Airport

The man who had arrived in New York wasn't all that much to look at. Not very handsome, but neither was he ugly. He was a very average looking person. And he was treated as such as he left the gangway and made his way towards the baggage claim at the airport. He picked up his bags and made his way out of the airport. As he left, he bought a copy of the day's newspaper as he went.

The cover contained headlines about the Manhattan Clan taking the tests needed to become officers of the law, and some smaller side articles on the reactions to it.

"Ah, New York," the man mused to himself as he looked at the paper, "the city that never sleeps… the city of gargoyles and all that. It sounds like an interesting challenge."

He then calmly walked on his way, with no one thinking twice about giving him a second glance.

Castle Wyvern, Dusk

High above much of the city, the clan awoke, just as they always did, as the sun sunk below the western horizon. As what had become routine, Xanatos was standing quietly on Goliath and Elisa's level on the tower.

"So how bad is it?" Elisa asked as she hopped down from her pedestal with Goliath beside her.

"And what makes you think what happened today was bad?" Xanatos asked, "for all you know, everything could have gone quite well."

Goliath ignored Xanatos's jab at his clan's stone sleep during the day. The wolf mutate was correct that things could have gone well, but given the way things had been going, something going well wasn't likely.

"A closed minded human has been running an anti-gargoyle hate group for the past two weeks," Goliath rumbled in a low voice, "current events does not incline me to believe that what happened while we slept was entirely good."

And that is where Xanatos sighed. Goliath had him there.

"Things are no worse then they were yesterday," Xanatos reported, "Maccio's 'Order of the Phoenix' has still protested outside City Hall and the 23rd Precinct House, but still they haven't done anything violent."

"What has the mayor said?" Elisa asked.

"He seems to be sticking to his guns on bringing you in as officers," Xanatos shrugged, "we haven't seen anything that would indicate otherwise. And your Captain is obviously on your side."

The tan female nodded.

"That is some relief," Goliath rumbled as he looked out over the city, "we'd best get going. They expect all of us to take this test."

"You'll do fine, Big Guy," Elisa told her mate, "You'll do fine."

Goliath only nodded and made his way to the stairs. The clan would eat and would then depart for the 23rd, and the tests that awaited them. The Tibetan elders likely wouldn't like it, but this was at a point where Goliath had to do what was best for his clan. And since they had agreed to split up their shifts once they'd earned their 'badges', the Tibetan elders could make do for one night.

The rest of the clan also made their way inside. They didn't really hear what Xanatos had told their leader and his mate, but given the way things had been going, many of them could guess.

"Do you think he's stopped?" Broadway asked.

"I doubt it," Brooklyn grumbled from behind the aquamarine male, "he's probably got guys shouting stuff already. As if tonight won't be hard enough."

There were audible sighs from many of the gargoyles with them at that. They all knew they were scheduled to take the tests the NYPD required to let them patrol. For some of them, they were still puzzled and confused about the need for the tests. Gargoyles were protectors by nature. None of them would do anything to harm the people deliberately. Of course, these rules were there to make sure that any officer of the law didn't go too far in enforcing the law. Elisa, Matt, and the instructor at the precinct explained that, even if the concept seemed alien to many of the gargoyles.

For Caroline, Amy, and Candy it was only a case of pre-test jitters. They had taken tests before, in school, but none of them carried the weight that the test they were scheduled to take did. The female trio hoped they would be able to pass the test and continue to move on in a productive fashion.

"Maybe things will go well," Amy said hopefully, "the Precinct's captain seems supportive. Maybe she's had all the Phoenix people pushed back to a safe distance."

"Maybe, but I wouldn't think so," Brooklyn commented to his mate, "we've seen some stuff like this on the news from time to time. The 'bad guy' is saying rude and hateful things, but continuously sites 'the First Amendment' when good people try to stop his hatred."

"The First Amendment to the Constitution," Caroline spoke, "which guarantees every individual the right to say pretty much anything he wants… although that doesn't mean there aren't consequences. You can say something, but that doesn't mean that you can't get in trouble if you say certain things."

"Then I wish they'd pay some serious consequences for spreading their hatred," Brooklyn commented, "it isn't right what they're doing."

"You have no argument from us," Candy spoke.

Their group was about to go in when Angela stopped Caroline for a moment, looking curious about something.

"Why do they have this Amendment if it lets people say hurtful things?" Angela asked, "It isn't right."

"I think it dates back to what our founding fathers saw of Europe," Caroline sighed, "European kings didn't tolerate criticism. Many saw themselves as appointed by God, so they had not only a political and financial right to oppress their people but a religious right as well. I mean, who would be critical of one chosen by God? And Kings, Dukes, Barons routinely shut down anything they deemed to be against them. America's founding fathers wanted America to be free of that sort of oppression. Where its citizens could speak, even if it's critical of the government, without fear of being imprisoned for having a different opinion. I don't know how right I am, but that's what I can summarize from history class."

"It seems to me they did not think things through in letting people say whatever they want even if it's hurtful or a lie," Angela commented.

"Policing whether or not someone is being entirely truthful would likely cost too much," Candy commented, "and if someone is operating on incomplete evidence, that person can not be lying. Ignorant maybe, but not lying. Lying is when one deliberately tells someone something that isn't true."

"Although people have gotten in trouble for talking about things they don't know anything about," Amy added, "I think all we can do is wait this out. My folks have been trying to work on some way of stopping Maccio's movement from gathering momentum… although I don't think they've come to a decision yet."

"At least someone's doing something right," Broadway gave a heavy sigh, as it was clear that Maccio's actions were putting a strain on all of them.

Elsewhere in New York

The average looking man calmly walked down the street looking about things as he went. He still had to get a hotel room to stay in, but he felt that New York required a once over look before he started his own work. The city's gargoyles were an interesting curiosity to him, but he also knew that it would be stupid to fight them directly. Moving through the city and looking up periodically would give him some clue as to what they would do.

Now, of course he could trust what the newspaper reported, which was that they were to take a test that if they passed it, would allow them to join the NYPD as patrol officers. But, not everyone in New York liked the idea of these gargoyles being there. And being sentient, he didn't think that the gargoyles would just mindlessly endure hatred being thrown at them. He thought that however their society was arranged would do its best to avoid human interaction as much as possible for their own safety. Regardless, there would always be questions for everyone to ask.

"They will make my stay interesting," the man mused to himself, "They're likely to stay away from the people that hate them, but even if they do not, one can not deny that they will make things interesting."

As he passed a alley, he was grabbed by unknown attackers. They pulled him out of sight of the people on the street. Once out of sight of others, the man finally got a look at his assailants. All of them were dressed in some strange 'punk' attire and had spiked multi-colored hair.

"Of course there are other things that are interesting," the man mused.

"Yeah, interesting," the first punk smiled as his two compatriots held the unknown man by his shoulders, "Do you know what would be more interesting? You handing over all your cash."

"Or, I could… do this!" the man smiled as he brought a foot down on first the man to his right and then on the man to his left.

That attack startled the two punks and they let the unknown man go. The lead punk moved to attack him, but the unknown man produced a small dart gun from inside his sleeve and fired the dart at the punk. It hit the punk in the chest and he ended up dropping to the ground at the unknown man's feet.

"What's… in… this…?" the man asked, his voice getting weaker with each second.

"Lethal poison," the unknown man smiled, "that's all any of you need know."

The punks to his flanks had by now recovered and came charging at him from two sides. The man smiled as this would take a bit of timing. As they approached they both prepared to throw punches, and as they started to deliver their blows, the unknown man ducked and the two punks ended up punching each other. That knocked them both back and bought the unknown man time to shoot both of them with his dart gun. As the last two punks slumped to the ground and were beginning to fall out of consciousness, the unknown man calmly and quietly down the alley.

"Yes, things promise to be very interesting indeed," the unknown man thought to himself as he continued on his way.

23rdPrecinct

Matt was waiting for them on the clock tower balcony as the clan arrived. He looked somewhat nervous, although none of them were yet certain whether it was because of something coming from City Hall, within the police department, or from Maccio's collection of uneducated bigots.

"You all okay?" Matt asked as they landed.

"About as well as can be expected," Goliath rumbled, "He has not given you much of a problem, as he?"

"Maccio?" Matt asked as he overheard some of the shouts of Order of the Phoenix protestors outside the precinct drifted up to where they were, "No more then what the standard nut organization does. They may not like you guys, but at least they're non-violent. It means you will get a chance to prove them wrong."

"We tried that with the Quarrymen," Brooklyn grumbled, "It didn't work."

"Yes, but Castaway was a militant fanatic," Matt pointed out, "I don't think there was anything that could have persuaded him otherwise."

"And ye think these people will be different?" Hudson asked plainly.

"They're non-violent, so that has to be a start," Matt commented, "If they're not going to take your head off at first sight, there's a chance that they might listen to you… provided you don't come off as sounding crazy beside their lunacy."

"Great," Caroline, Candy, and Amy groaned, practically in unison.

"I never said this would be easy," Matt shrugged with a sigh, "and for right now, Maccio and his bigots aren't your concern. You have your tests to take, as so far, the mayor won't be backing down."

"That's one good thing to hear," Elisa spoke as they all began to follow Matt into the clock tower.

The trek into the station was rather quiet. Matt and Flariaty would be the ones supervising the test along with the officers that had been supervising their training to make sure things there went well. That was some good news for the clan, as Flariaty's tone toward the gargoyles had softened tremendously since the battle with Thailog. And there were of course a few officers who didn't like having the clan there, but even they didn't go even as far as Maccio's Order of the Phoenix.

Many of the officers they passed were quiet as they walked through the station. Matt lead them to a large classroom like room where they had having their classes on the rules and regulations that governed the NYPD. A lone officer sat at a single desk with a stack of papers in front of him. There were enough tables and chairs for the entire clan, but they were spread out enough that they could look over the shoulder of any neighbor, though none of them intended to cheat.

"Please sit in an alternating gender pattern," the officer at the desk instructed, "boy, girl, boy, girl."

"It's only to make sure no one cheats," Matt apologized.

"I don't need to," Elisa chuckled to him, "I've already TAKEN this test before."

"You were human then, and so far the mayor isn't going to restore you to your previous rank," Matt said with a sigh, "though Chavez and I are still trying."

Elisa only nodded as the clan took their seats. Once everyone was seated the officer at the desk began shuffling through the papers in front of him before getting up to hand out the answer sheets to them, along with a blank sheet of paper for answers that required a written explanation. Matt, meanwhile settled into his role as instructor or the time being while the answer sheets were being handed out and while waiting for Flariaty to arrive.

"These are the answer sheets for the standardized exam given to all potential patrol officers for acceptance into the NYPD," Matt explained, "Some of you may be familiar with standardized tests, and some may have even taken this test once before, but it is still important to review the rules for this test."

He paused for a brief moment before continuing.

"All answers must be done in pencil, with multiple choice answers being filled in completely," Matt spoke, "written answers must be written out as precisely as possible to demonstrate an understanding of NYPD rules and regulations. This test will determine which members of your clan are ready to directly join the NYPD as patrol officers. Now because of agreements between you and the Mayor's office, I am authorized to tell you that those who do not pass will only be required to continue the training program and take the test again in one week's time."

It was at this time that Flariaty arrived. She quietly moved to the desk and picked up the question booklets and prepared to hand them out.

"Detective Flariaty is handing out the question portion of the test," Matt explains, "They are mostly multiple choice, but there are several questions where you will be expected to write out an explanation for your reasoning, or a question that requires a written answer. You will have until dawn to complete the test. Once you finish, you are free to return to the castle."

The clan quietly looked at Matt as Flariaty returned to his side.

"You may begin at any time," Matt spoke as the clan began the test.

Outside

"So how are we doing?" Maccio asked as he came to check on a group that he had had protesting outside the 23rd, hoping that the police would realize "the people" didn't want the gargoyles as officers and would arrest and kill them.

So far, that had been unsuccessful.

"Fairly well," the man running the group of protestors commented, "they still haven't chased us away, and several people have even clapped for us."

"That's about all we seem to get," Maccio grumbled, "Support from a few people and no recognition from where we're looking for it."

"Maybe we ought to get 'em ourselves," a young man among the group of protestors, "they'll likely call us heroes when they're gone."

"No, that was the mistake Castaway made," Maccio answered, "It is the police that must kill the gargoyles, not us. If we do it, they'll only support their lies more and we will be punished for it. All we can do is protest and make their lives so miserable that they'll do what we say just to get us to be quiet. And then, we can claim victory."

"Excuse me," a voice spoke.

Maccio turned to see an African American officer with his partner coming down the steps from the 23rd's offices.

"Excuse me," Officer Morgan said again, "You're gathering is blocking my car, and I got a shift to do."

"What's going on in there?" Maccio asked.

"They're taking the test to gain entrance into the police," Morgan's partner spoke, "Real employment. Something you people might consider looking for."

"We have real employment," Maccio spoke up to defend his people, "we are trying to do this city a service by forcing those who wish to destroy us all, out."

"You're just repeating the same worn out and stupid junk the Quarrymen spewed out for three years, man," Morgan said firmly, "Now, excuse me."

"You don't actually believe them do you?" Maccio challenged.

Officer Morgan then turned to face Maccio directly, finding the man to be a few inches shorter then he was.

"Listen, you want to spew out all these lies, that's fine with me," Morgan growled, "it's within your rights to voice your opinion. It's within your rights that you don't like the world is a lot weirder then you once thought it to be. But I've known one of the gargoyles for a good long time, before she ever was one of them. And I will tell you now that I will always believe her over racists like you."

"I'm not a racist!" Maccio said vehemently, "it's the gargoyles that are the racists! Anything you knew with one was only because it was in disguise, and wasn't real."

"Get away from my car," Morgan growled in a very icy tone.

Maccio and his protesters finally parted ways enough for Morgan and his partner go to their squad car. The two officers were not happy with having to deal with Maccio's Order of the Phoenix.

Elsewhere

The unknown man returned to the hotel room that he had purchased. He was in a rather crowded sector of the Bronx, but he would be away from the near constant activity that went on the Manhattan borough and away from the security forces that the man presumed protected the major international airport on Long Island. He didn't know that other then security guards and the NYPD, JFK International Airport did not garner massive security forces that patrolled outside the airport. But even if he did, the hotel in the Bronx was a good idea for basic security's sake for his operations.

No one had yet said anything about the thugs that he had killed, but they were small scale urchins who commonly lived short lives. But it would be best to know what they were reporting on it, as his plans could be foiled if he had been spotted. He had the news on and not surprisingly, it was focused on the current storyline surrounding the Manhattan Clan.

"Ralph Maccio's 'Order of the Phoenix' continues to protest outside the 23rd NYPD Precinct Office, even as a few gargoyles have already left the building and have begun returning to Castle Wyvern," an on site reporter spoke.

"Do we have any results on how those gargoyles did?" the station reporter asked.

"We can not expect any results for at least a week," the on site reporter answered, "which still leaves the present problem of the Order of the Phoenix, which has done everything possible to protest the mayor's decision to deputize the gargoyles."

"They would argue that they are trying to protect the city," the station reporter spoke, "and their ranks have been growing."

"But they've mostly been repeating the same things the Quarrymen shouted before their demise as a result of their criminal activity," the on site reporter explained, "most of their new members are confirmed former Quarrymen that Castaway did not bring into his criminal activities. The Order of the Phoenix has made little real impact on those not connected with the Quarrymen."

The on site reporter paused for a moment before continuing.

"Much of this comes from the fact that Maccio has offered no definitive proof that the gargoyles are secretly conspiring to take over New York City," the on site reporter finished, "And while the gargoyles have not responded in the press to these allegations, because Maccio has not brought forth any proof, nothing can really be done either way. The police won't investigate the gargoyles without proof, which means the mayor's decision to deputize them stands…"

"Meaning the Order of the Phoenix's protests will continue," the station reporter sighed.

"Yes," the on site reporter finished with the same degree of nervousness.

"Things are most interesting here, indeed," the unknown man smiled.

Castle Wyvern

Elisa was the first of the clan to finish the test, mostly as the questions had changed only slightly since the last time she had taken the test, and the laws had barely changed at all. She found the Guatemalan gargoyles peacefully explaining to a group of hatchlings about the importance of protecting the world's trees.

It was Zafiro who noticed Elisa's arrival.

"How did things go?" Zafiro asked politely as Elisa landed.

"About as well as can be expected, I think," Elisa replied, "We're only taking the tests now. It'll be a week before we get any answer."

"We hope you did well, then," Obsidiana spoke from where she was.

"Oh, I have no problem," Elisa said with a slight chuckle, "the test hasn't changed much since the first time I took it. Hopefully the others fair just as well."

The Guatemalan gargoyles nodded in agreement. New York may not be their environment, but they weren't about to wish ills on their own kind.

The Next Day

It had taken them forever during the previous night's meeting of making phone calls and checking the phone book to learn where Ralph Maccio. The replies they got were not entirely favorable, as though his anti-gargoyle rants were not all that popular with the people that knew him. Mr. Axel, however, was not in the business of fully explaining why he wanted to know where Maccio worked. Many of the same people may not be willing to outright join his Order of the Phoenix, but none of them had joined PIT either, and Mr. Axel didn't have the time to debate half the city.

His mission was to deliver PIT's challenge to a debate with Maccio to try and peacefully settle the matter of whether or not the gargoyles were good or evil, and whether or not they deserved equal rights. They had found out that he worked with an Investment firm, and Mr. Axel was now walking through their hallways trying to find Maccio's office.

"Excuse me, sir," a female security guard came up to him, "can I help you, sir?"

"Sure," Mr. Axel answered, "I need to speak with Ralph Maccio about something. I know this is likely outside your standard modes of operation, but I was unable to contact him at a more convenient time."

"And what business do you have with Mr. Maccio?" the security guard asked, "I'm afraid we do not allow Order of the Phoenix meetings during working hours."

"I'm not a member of his organization," Mr. Axel responded, "I'm here on behalf of PIT. I'm only here to deliver this to him. Once I've done that, I'll go."

He held up a small slip of paper that held PIT's formal challenge to a debate as well as the phone numbers that Maccio could use to set up the debate.

"I'm afraid that such business can not be permitted during working hours," the security guard repeated.

"I couldn't reach him when it wasn't working hours," Mr. Axel repeated, "and I shouldn't be here that long. I'm sure you can afford the time to allow me to hand him a slip of paper."

The security guard was silent for a moment before she sighed heavily.

"Alright," she sighed, "You have the time to hand him your letter of challenge. That is all. Privately, sir, I'd say that his views on the gargoyles are entirely over exaggerated. Because of that I'd tend to agree with PIT, but it is company policy that such matters are not discussed during working hours in order to maintain a business like atmosphere."

"I can understand," Mr. Axel nodded, "if we could have contacted him last night, we would have. It appears that right now is the only time that I could reach him."

The security guard didn't answer, but lead Mr. Axel down a couple of hallways until they came to one actual office then the rows of cubicles that Mr. Axel had been earlier walking around.

"Mr. Maccio," the security guard said in a formal voice, "there is someone here to see you."

Ralph turned.

"I don't have any appointments for today," Ralph spoke as he turned to see a man he didn't know standing beside on of his firm's security guards.

"On behalf of PIT, I challenge you to an organized debate over the present gargoyle issue," Mr. Axel spoke calmly and handed Ralph the card, "When you have time, call the number on the card and we will work out the details."

Mr. Axel then turned and left quietly with the security guard following to make sure he left. Ralph only looked at the card.

"They're challenging me?" he thought after a moment.

Castle Wyvern, That Evening

"And you honestly think this will work?" Goliath rumbled as Mr. Axel, his wife, and Candy's mother explained their idea to challenge Ralph Maccio to a debate.

"It couldn't hurt," Mr. Axel sighed, "I mean they haven't yet picked up hammers and tried to smash you like the Quarrymen did."

"That doesn't mean they can't start," Othello grumbled.

"But while they haven't, we can talk with them," Judith spoke, "Maybe we can convince them to back off… and if not… if we can persuade someone to be a non-partial moderator, we'd be able to show the world just how wrong he is."

"It's the best anyone can do," Abigail added, "they're running the same lies that I fell for. That you're monsters out to eat children… but unlike the Quarrymen they haven't done anything criminal. Which means if you swoop down and grab them for protesting, you'll prove them right. It isn't like fighting the Quarrymen who commonly started the fights with you."

"They have a legal point there, big guy," Elisa told her mate, "they may hate us, but that doesn't make it a crime."

"Do you think you can win this 'debate', mom?" Amy asked nervously, "It could really hurt PIT if Maccio wins."

"It could," Judith sighed as she put a hand on Amy's shoulder, "but from what we've seen of Maccio's charges, I doubt he's smart enough to win such a debate. Winning debates depends on presenting facts in a believable manner. All Maccio has done is yell absurd hatred, repeating what the Quarrymen shouted between their bouts of violence."

"Who are you wanting to moderate this debate?" Candy asked after a moment or two.

"Hopefully Travis Marshall," Mr. Axel sighed, "It would do the most to insure that Maccio's Order of the Phoenix is exposed to at least the entire city as a bunch of lying thugs, as with him as the moderator, the debate would be televised."

"He's become rather pro-gargoyle, though," Hudson commented, "Wouldn't this Maccio then consider the debate to be staged?"

"He could, but he also holds the reputation of being a rather fair and professional," Judith answered, "People won't expect him to ask any loaded questions."

"Except for maybe Maccio," Brooklyn pointed out.

"He's still only our preferred moderator," Mr. Axel said, "we'll take just about anyone for a moderator so long as we can get confirmation that he or she will be professional in their demeanor."

The Bronx

The unknown man sat quietly once again rereading through local newspapers and following the local news. He needed to know if the police had discovered the three gang members he had killed and if they had any witnesses. So far, it appeared that not even the bodies had been found, but maybe they were waiting for some identification of the bodies. He couldn't be entirely sure.

It was then that the local news on the television did report something. The unknown man paid very close attention to it.

"In local crime news, three members of the 'spike' gang were found dead late last night after being injected with an presently unknown poison," the reporter spoke in a grave voice, "the announcement of the death of these gang members was delayed while the Police attempted to run some basic background checks to identify the victims."

The reporter paused for a moment before continuing.

"The victims carried little official identification, and could not be identified immediately by means other then tattoos hidden under their shirts as 'Tank', 'Mace' and 'Claws'," the reporter continued, "blood tests were needed for their actual names, which have been released to their families. At present the only guess the police have for their deaths is gang violence with rival street gangs."

The screen was then replaced with mug shots of the three men that attempted to mug him.

"If anyone has any information about WHO killed these men, please contact the authorities," the reporter finished.

The unknown man continued to watch as the reporter then moved on to a different topic leaving things as they were. The police had discovered the bodies, but their only clue was gang violence and at present had no clues as to who had actually killed the three muggers. He pondered this for a few moments. Someone might have seen them grab him or someone in one of the nearby skyscrapers might have actually seen the scuffle between them. He would have to wait and pay close attention to news to see if anyone had witnessed it and gave the police a good description of him. His plans revolved around not being recognized.

In the meantime a couple of ideas also came to his head, largely given to him by the news reporter. It would be better for his overall plans if he had as little police and, or, potentially gargoyle interference as possible. The reporter had cited gang violence as the police's prime suspect at the moment, and the unknown man figured it might do him good to see if he could instigate some gang violence. If they fought each other, the police and the gargoyles would be too distracted to worry about anything he was doing.

Order of the Phoenix Meeting Hall, Victor's Apartment

"He outright challenged us?" Victor asked as Ralph read the note on one of the few nights that most of them weren't out protesting.

"To a debate, yes, to a duel, no," Ralph told him.

"Well, dueling has gone out style," Victor shrugged, "What do you want to do about it?"

"I'm tempted to take it," Ralph commented, "it will give us some publicity and a chance to crush those PIT fools who have fallen head over heals for their lies…"

"But," Victor spoke.

"They want this to be fairly public," Ralph commented, "which means anyone in New York could see it. It would potentially be bad if we lose this debate. Wonderful if we win the debate, but dangerous if we lose."

"Name me the moderator then," Victor commented, "They're letting us choose the moderator… at least it looks that way from their card. Name me the moderator and they'll be answering such twisted questions that they will remain on the defense and will appear foolish for calling the debate. You will receive easy questions allowing you to repeat our message, and you will obviously be able to give a rebuttal to whatever weak and defensive answers the PIT people give."

"A very clever idea," Ralph gave a half smile, "We'd face very little trouble and we'd paint PIT as going against all the people in the city."

Victor nodded.

"All in favor of debating PIT?" Ralph asked.

"Aye" was the near unanimous reply.

One or two said nay, but they were by far in the minority.

"The motion passes," Ralph smiled, "We will debate PIT with Victor here being the moderator. I will remind all members that we are to be on our BEST behavior during this debate. PIT doesn't want a fight, and I do not either. It would only make us look like the Quarrymen. Like we aren't willing to even hear a different opinion."

The others in the room nodded.

"In the meantime," Ralph spoke as he picked up his cell-phone, "I suppose I should call their number to let them know they will lose to us."

He heard a small cycle of cheers as he began dialing the number given to him earlier in the day. He quieted them with a wave of his hand as he heard it ring twice.

"Hello?" he eventually heard an answer on the other line.

"Yes, this is Ralph Maccio, President of the Order of the Phoenix," Ralph spoke, "is this the same person who delivered the letter of challenge to me today?"

"This is William Axel," the voice answered, "Go ahead."

"This is to let you know that I accept the offer of a debate, and that I am willing to work out a location for it," Ralph spoke into the phone.

"We are willing to meet almost anywhere, so long as it's public and that your people promise not to be violent," Mr. Axel replied over the phone.

"We are not the Quarrymen and I will not tolerate any violent action," Ralph responded.

"Just checking," Mr. Axel told him, "Castaway usually made many non-threatening promises too, before he broke them."

"Which is why he is in jail, sir," Ralph answered, "having the right opinion doesn't excuse criminal behavior."

"Ah-ha," Mr. Axel answered, "well, I'm sure we can rent a hall for the meeting. It should be big enough to seat everybody and even a few extra guests."

"Good," Ralph nodded as he heard Mr. Axel give him the address, "and I have the name of the moderator we would prefer. A Victor Rascal."

"The man to your right at most of your protests?" Mr. Axel questioned, "We won't accept members of YOUR organization as moderators. It must be someone professional and officially neutral in the matter. Otherwise it wouldn't be a moderator. You'd simply be setting us up as proxies to take the fall."

"And who would you prefer?" Ralph questioned.

"We thought of Travis Marshall," Mr. Axel spoke, "He is a professional with these sorts of things."

"He seems to be rather PRO-gargoyle," Ralph answered, "If you will not accept our man, we will not accept yours."

"He is a professional though," Mr. Axel spoke, "he will not belittle you to try and make us or himself look good, which I think is what you wanted to do naming your right hand man as the moderator."

Ralph only sighed, as it appeared like they weren't going to give him the easy victory their letter of challenge indicated.

"Hold on," Ralph spoke.

"They want Travis Marshall as the moderator," Ralph announced, "they won't accept Victor."

He heard several grumble, and Victor didn't look happy. Clearly they were expecting an easy victory as well.

"You've already accepted the challenge," Victor spoke up, "We're bound to it now. If they won't accept our choice, you'd best brainstorm over some alternatives, or accept Marshall… he is a professional at least."

A few people agreed to that. Ralph only sighed. He was unprepared and didn't think one of his other members would make a convincing moderator. He also couldn't think of a person who was neutral that would listen to him. He and Victor had tried to recruit several of his coworkers into their organization, but they had either blown him off or cited the company's policy in regards to controversial issues. As a result he couldn't think of anyone besides Travis Marshall that would work. He didn't want to use the reporter though, because he was rumored to be pro-gargoyle, and because he was likely to give him just as hard a question as he would the PIT representative. But it was unlikely that he had any other option.

"Very well," Ralph sighed, "If you think Marshall would make a good moderator, go ahead. When do you want to hold this debate?"

"Hopefully this coming Wednesday," Mr. Axel answered, "but it may take time to coordinate things with Mr. Marshall."

"I'll call you Tuesday night then to see what progress you've made," Ralph spoke and then hung up.

He then looked to Victor, and said, "they're still in the middle of basic planning."

WVRN Offices, Next Day

Travis Marshall sat quietly in his office reading over the topics for the week's episodes of Nightwatch. One was to include an interview with the mayor over the decision to deputize the Manhattan gargoyles and how he was trying keep the city 'ordered'. He could sympathize with the mayor to a great extent as the Order of the Phoenix wasn't making things easy for him on one end, and the mayor probably could feel some pressure from PIT on the other side.

Now, he had found himself rather supportive of Goliath's clan, particularly as it seemed to him they wanted to join society and were continually running into people trying to push them out. But Marshall knew that his job was to report the news, not make it. Other then give interviews where they were required to get at a story, he wasn't about to over sensationalize things in either direction.

"Sir?" came his assistant's voice from outside his door, a young male who looked like he was right out of high school, "I have a guy from PIT wanting to talk to you."

"PIT?" Marshall asked.

"Yes, sir," the aid answered.

Marshall only sighed, "I'll take it in here. What line is he on?"

"Three, sir," the aid told him.

Marshall pressed the button and picked up the phone.

"Hello?" he spoke calmly.

"Mr. Marshall?"

"Speaking," Marshall answered, "what can I do for you?"

"My name is William Axel, I was wondering if you could do PIT a tremendous favor," the voice on the other line answered, "and do not worry, it is nothing that makes you take sides… it actually sort of depends on you being neutral."

This actually had him intrigued. People involved in controversial issues, such as the gargoyles, rarely wanted someone to be neutral.

"And what is this favor, Mr. Axel?" Marshall asked.

"As I'm sure you know, PIT has been trying to help get humanity and the gargoyles together," Mr. Axel spoke, "but right now, the Order of the Phoenix is really curtailing that…"

"I can't condone violence," Marshall told him.

"I'm not asking for violence," Mr. Axel told him, "we want to debate Ralph Maccio and show the people of New York that his opinions are wrong and closed minded. We need someone to moderate the debate."

"I take it you want me to be the moderator?" Marshall asked, sensing there was an opportunity there, if things could be worked out.

"Yes," Mr. Axel replied, "Maccio has agreed to the debate, so we've been working to find a moderator. We thought you were the best choice since you've moderated some of the city mayor elections for WVRN."

"I see," Marshall answered, "and when do you plan to hold this debate?"

"Hopefully this coming Wednesday, but mostly depending on what would work best for you," Mr. Axel told him.

Marshall quickly checked his schedule. The interview with the mayor was on Wednesday, but Thursday was 'open'. He did have something already scheduled for that day, but it was not a subject that couldn't be delayed, and a debate between PIT and the Order of Phoenix would make for huge coverage immediately after the interview with the mayor. He'd have to clear the changes with the station manager, but that could be easily done.

"This coming Wednesday is full for me, but if you postpone your debate a day, I think I could even bring you on Nightwatch," Marshall told him, "Give New York some of the publicity you were asking for."

"You would do that?" Mr. Axel asked.

"It is a big story," Marshall replied, "and with the clan joining the NYPD in an official manner, it will be a good lead in to the whether or not they've passed the tests. Hopefully you're a good enough debater that this Maccio character will back off, giving everyone fewer headaches."

"Thank you," Mr. Axel spoke, "Thank you."

Castle Wyvern, That Evening

"So this debate tis to be on television?" Hudson asked curiously as Mr. Axel told the clan what he considered to be good news.

"Yes, I can hardly believe it," Mr. Axel spoke, "I had thought I'd have to beg to get him to agree and find some way to work around HIS schedule, but he's said he'd alter his if his station manager approved of the idea."

"Do you think he will, dad?" Amy asked.

"He might," Mr. Axel shrugged, "Mr. Marshall seemed to have the opinion that you guys were big news still. A debate between us and the Order of the Phoenix seemed like a very newsworthy story."

"Well, we're controversial," Elisa spoke, "News generally gravitates to controversial topics because your bound to get strong opinions from them."

"I'd wish we'd stop being controversial, Elisa," Angela told the tan female, "we mean no one any harm."

"I know, Angela," Elisa sighed, "but it's a tough road… but I'm sure we can do it."

"Says the one who likely got every question on that test right," Caroline quipped, "I'm still sweating bullets over that thing."

"I'm sure you did fine," Elisa spoke, finding herself trying to comfort the others again.

The test had been easy for Elisa, but that was mostly because she had taken it once before. The rest of the clan had all done relatively in Elisa's eyes, even Hudson, who usually had the most problems with the NYPD's rules and regulations. But with the exception of the female trio, none of them were familiar to standardized tests, so she guessed that this was a result of that.

"Trust me guys," Elisa spoke, "You're all very smart. I'm sure you did well."

"We aren't used to these sorts of tests, Elisa," Broadway commented, "we're still a little nervous about it."

Elisa could only nod to that.

"When do you suppose Mr. Marshall will get back to you to make this debate official if his station manager approves his alterations to his schedule?" Goliath rumbled, unsure entirely how this would work, but hoped it did.

"Some time tomorrow," Mr. Axel sighed, "I'm still waiting for Maccio to make his call to let him know about the changes in the time table for the debate."

"We hope you are successful in your attempt to help us, Mr. Axel," Desdemona told him politely, "but I believe we have other things to tend to, tonight."

There came a slightly frustrated sigh, as the clan knew it had baby-sitting duties with the Tibetan hatchlings to take care off, although all of them knew it was good training for their own eventual futures.

Castle Wyvern, TV Room, That Thursday

Things for the clan progressed quietly as they waited out the week for Thursday to arrive. They wouldn't know the results of the test for a few days, but tonight was the night that Mr. Axel had been waiting and hoping for. The debate against Ralph Maccio over the issue of the gargoyles and their employment by the city. To view this, the clan, the Guatemalans, and all the Tibetan gargoyles, elders and hatchlings, squeezed into the clan's rec room where Hudson commonly watched television with Bronx on most nights.

"I'm sure things will go well," Brooklyn said to Amy, "You're dad's a smart guy."

"I hope so," Amy nodded as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

On the screen they were watching the intro for 'Nightwatch' ended to reveal Marshall standing behind a podium.

"Good evening, and welcome to Nightwatch," Travis Marshall began, "tonight, in keeping with our focus on Manhattan's gargoyle related issues, we have a special show as Mr. William Axel, a leading representative from the organization known as PIT, People for Interspecies Tolerance, will debate Ralph Maccio, the leader of the recently proclaimed Order of the Phoenix."

The screen then panned out to reveal Mr. Axel and Ralph Maccio standing at smaller podiums that semi-faced one another, making the set up look like a political debate.

"As I'm sure most viewers remember the first 'debate' that aired on Nightwatch with then deputy-district attorney Margot Yale debating college professor Lennox Macduff on the issue of the gargoyle's appearance in New York," Marshall continued, "and remember that it was a lively affair, and I'm sure the present debate will not be lacking in 'heat'. I will serve as a moderator for the debate, and urge all viewers to call or write in to let us know who was the most effective in this debate."

Marshall then looked like he was shuffling some papers on his podium.

"I will begin by asking each representative to explain the purpose of their organization and the platform they stand behind," Marshall spoke and then gestured to Mr. Axel.

"PIT stands for an open minded approach," Mr. Axel spoke, "the gargoyles are something new and certainly something that people consider abnormal, but that doesn't justify hatred. They want to join society. Their efforts to fight crime in this city, their willingness to even let Mr. Marshall here interview them show that the only things that differentiate them from us is largely appearance… and we should be better then to hate sentient creatures for their appearance."

"Thank you," Marshall spoke and then gestured toward Maccio.

"This isn't a question of racism," Maccio spoke, "this is a question of surviving a very real threat to the people of New York City. I have started the Order of the Phoenix to urge people to come to their senses and realize that these gargoyles are dangerous and that their only plausible objective in this city is to take it over and eliminate its citizens or enslave those that they do not kill. They are intelligent, surely, but intelligence doesn't mean 'good'. There have been plenty of intelligent people that have also been despicably evil. People must also remember that these gargoyles lived here in secret until the 23rd Precinct's clock tower was attacked, which revealed them to the people of the city. If they were truly good and wishing to join society and live under OUR laws, they should have come out into the open the moment they arrived here, not living in secrecy. That secrecy can only imply that they have plans that are not for the benefit of the people of New York."

"The man understands nothing," Othello grumbled, as the show went to commercial, "all that was, was a blind accusation based off of superstition."

WVRN Nightwatch Set

When the commercial break ended, Marshall began to move into the real meat of the debate.

"Mr. Maccio, you charge that the gargoyles are not a force of good inherently and that their intelligence doesn't make them good?" Marshall asked, "is that right?"

"Yes," Maccio nodded, "this can even be seen in the recent attack on the Eyrie Building by the Pack, a group of known criminals, along with several gargoyles. An attack and battle that did serious damage to the surrounding buildings and proved to New York that gargoyles are NOT inherently good."

"But wouldn't the mayor's decision to deputize the gargoyles that were attacked in that incident, and the fact that they have submitted to the mayor's program demonstrate that while ALL gargoyles may not be good, there are those that are good?" Marshall questioned.

"But we have no hard evidence as to why the battle occurred there, why the 'bad' gargoyles in that case attacked the Eyrie Building," Maccio countered, "it is likely that what happened was that there were two groups of gargoyles looking to control the city, and one was defeated. That has left us with one group of gargoyles that were caught in the open. They had no other obvious choice but to submit to the mayor's demand without starting a war, which they know they can't win. And this relates back to their intelligence. They know they can't win a straight up fight with us, so they will be sneaky. Work behind the scenes and pick us off one by one, using our own laws against us."

Marshall turned to Mr. Axel, "can you counter these accusations?"

"I can not deny the charge that intelligence doesn't mean that one is good," Mr. Axel admitted, "good and evil are potentially present in everything, whether they be human or gargoyle. It is how we deal with the temptations of evil that determines whether or not we are good. Those who give in, commonly become evil, and usually by their own choice."

Mr. Axel then paused for a moment.

"But simply lumping all the gargoyles as 'evil' because a few rotten apples had chosen to be evil is no better then saying 'all gargoyles are good' because of one or two noble individuals," Mr. Axel continued, "being able to judge people, human or gargoyle, as good or evil comes from first hand knowledge of them as individuals. PIT has met with the Manhattan clan that lives at Castle Wyvern and has gotten to know them well. They are smart, kind, and caring. Strong and brave. They are essentially everything we wish ourselves to be, other then the obvious species difference. We say they are good because we know them personally."

He paused again and looked toward the cameras.

"And while that doesn't mean that there could be other evil gargoyles out there, it is a reinforcing notion that the mayor's decision to deputize the gargoyles was a good thing," Mr. Axel finished, "by deputizing and bringing more into our society then they had ever been before, he has insured that the rule of law applies to all of Manhattan's citizens. If a gargoyle commits a crime, he or she can be punished for it. It will insure in the long run that they obey the laws, yes, but it will also give those that are good the chance to shine alongside the city's finest. To be what they have repeated claimed to be, protectors, guardians."

"What of the charge that their submission to the law is only act and that they intend to destroy New York from within?" Marshall asked, "Use our laws against us?"

"That is a sign of paranoia and nothing more," Mr. Axel said firmly, "as police officers, their duty will be to enforce the laws we have, which have not been written in a manner to allow such covert action. If a gargoyle attempted it, he or she would be caught by the police and either arrested or suspended for abusing police powers. The only way they could undertake something of that nature would be if they would have had to take over city hall in its entirety in order to enact laws that would allow such activity, and they haven't. And while it is plausible that there may be those that do have that idea, Mr. Maccio has no evidence other then his own accusations, that the Manhattan clan would enact such a plan, and because of PIT's personal experience with the clan, I can safely say that they do not wish to take over the city in any manner, covert or otherwise."

Castle Wyvern

"You're dad is doing well," Lexington commented to Amy while the show was on another commercial break, "All Maccio has done is repeat his same accusations."

"And you're dad saying that he knew us was a good touch, I think," Candy added, "people tend to trust people that actually know the subject they know…"

"So long as they agree," Amy told the two web-wings, "So long as they agree. These Order of the Phoenix people probably won't."

"We left with the comment that your accusations are fueled by nothing more then paranoia," Marshal spoke to Maccio as they came back from commercial, "can you present any evidence that would suggest that the Manhattan clan is actually involved in some sort of covert operation? Or that the mayor has made a mistake?"

"The evidence is in the attacks on New York's populace that have gone on for years since the gargoyle's initial arrival in the city," Maccio spoke, "common people on their way home, office workers in their offices, subway train passengers, private citizens in the park, and many others. Many people claimed to be attacked by these creatures for no reason, and while the government refused to take action, these attacks continued. And that can not be denied. Police reports have been filed on these attacks. And their descriptions match the gargoyles that the mayor has now deputized."

"So you believe this plan has been an ongoing offensive on the part of the Manhattan Clan?" Marshall questioned.

"Yes," Maccio answered, "there can be no other explanation for these attacks."

Marshall then turned to Mr. Axel, but didn't say anything.

"A few police officers that have joined PIT have said during meetings that these reports are likely exaggerated and made out of fear," Mr. Axel explained, "and all of them coincided with some other criminal activity. The people in the park were mugged, the gargoyle took down the mugger, and the people then accused the gargoyle of attacking them out of fear. In fact the only people to have actually been wounded or knocked out by the gargoyles have been criminals. No innocent person has been harmed by them. Those reports represent a cycle of fear, a cycle that can be broken if we only give them a chance to prove themselves and truly get to know them."

"Can you respond to the possibility that some of the reports were false?" Marshall asked, "and explain why the only ones having injuries inflicted by the Manhattan clan were criminals?"

"Many times the police arrived by the time the criminal had been caught," Maccio answered, "the gargoyle likely didn't have time to finish his attack, and that their "vigilante" activities is only a cover for their real goal."

"They're real goal?" Marshall asked.

"One they have yet to reveal," Maccio spoke, "one they've hidden from us."

"It could be perceived that you are trying to frighten people by playing to a lack of understanding or knowledge of the gargoyles," Marshall commented, "PIT's representatives have met the clan personally and have gotten to know them. And they do not believe they have these secret plans."

Maccio didn't answer immediately, sensing that he was at a dead end.

"Anyone can make mistakes," Maccio spoke, "and from what I've seen, these gargoyles are too smart, too secretive, and too potentially dangerous to be trusted. The only way for our city to be safe is for the mayor to at least have these gargoyles arrested before they do us all great harm!"

"What a load of…" Caroline began but stopped herself when she remembered the Tibetan hatchlings were there well.

"A load of what?" one hatchling asked looking up, curious about what the blue female was going to say.

"Bad stuff," Caroline told the hatchling, "bad stuff."

"It does give my dad an advantage though," Amy commented while the show was on commercial again, "He's just rattling of excuses to make it okay to hate us. With no concrete evidence that our clan is evil, people will hopefully be hesitant to support him… and we can move fully into society."

"So what will you do when you enter their society, fully?" a Tibetan elder asked curiously.

"I'm hoping to take Brooklyn to a Mets game," Amy spoke, "I'm hoping we win it all this coming season."

"I'd like to try some of that vendor food people sell on the street," Broadway licked his lips, "pretzels, hot dogs, and bunch of other good stuff."

"Wouldn't you like something not food related?" Angela asked her mate, "There are so many interesting things in this city."

"Of course… but that doesn't mean I can't NOT like food," Broadway said weakly.

They quieted down as Nightwatch finished its final commercial for the night.

WVRN Nightwatch Set

"When we went to commercial we had finished what has been a very lively debate between Mr. William Axel of PIT and Mr. Ralph Axel of the Order of the Phoenix," Marshall spoke, "PIT supports the mayor's decision to deputize the gargoyles as a step to doing something great, while the Order of the Phoenix believes it was a dangerous mistake granting power to beings that we 'do not know'. Both have explained their views and brought up good points to support them. As we close for tonight we leave you the viewers with the question. Who was right? Who's argument carried the most weight? Call or email the WVRN studios and we will post the results on tomorrow night's episode of Nightwatch."

And with that the lights dimmed, as the live feed cameras were shut off, ending the debate. Mr. Axel stepped down from his podium feeling rather confident. He hoped his plan worked and the bulk of New York would come out and support the gargoyles.

23rdPrecinct, later that week

"I passed by the mail room on my way in," Matt spoke as he and Flariaty entered Captain Chavez's office, "the test results are in. I thought you'd like to see them."

"I would," Chavez nodded as the two detectives nodded, "I'll need to prepare a report for New York's chief of police and the mayor explaining the results."

Matt handed Captain Chavez the folder containing the results and sat down while Flariaty sat down beside him. She opened it and looked inside. It contained a series of singular sheets that had condensed all of the clan's answers, even the written ones onto a single sheet of paper. She looked through them carefully, and after a moment smiled.

"All of them passed," Chavez smiled, "hopefully this give the Order of the Phoenix something ELSE to choke on."

The End…